Dad sentenced to 8 years in prison for shooting of two kids (Burney, California)

INVISIBLE MOTHER ALERT. What happened to the mother of these kids? Notice that we have mention of the "girlfriend" and that the kids that were shot are now in foster care. 

So was KEVIN ROBERT VENIA a custodial dad? If so, how did he get custody and who gave it to him?

http://www.redding.com/news/2013/jan/23/burney-father-sentenced-to-prison-for-child/

Burney father sentenced to prison for child endangerment

By Jim Schultz

Posted January 23, 2013 at 5:48 p.m.

A Burney man whose two young children were severely hurt Nov. 12 by an accidental shotgun blast at their home was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in prison after he pleaded no contest to child endangerment-abuse charges.

Kevin Robert Venia, 29, must serve 50 percent of his prison sentence before being eligible for parole.

Venia, who was scheduled to begin standing trial early next month, faced about 10- to- 11 years in prison had he been convicted of the charges against him, a prosecutor said.

Venia, who also pleaded no contest to a felony count of criminal storage of a firearm, was arrested after his then 5-year-old son accidentally shot his 2-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister with a loaded sawed-off shotgun their father had left within easy reach on a living room ottoman.

But Senior Deputy Public Defender Max Ruffcorn Sr., noting his client was charged with child abuse, stressed Venia never struck or hit his children.

"It's more of a criminal negligence case," he said, adding that Venia has taken responsibility for the accident. "He's as mortified as everyone else."

Sheriff's deputies have said Venia's 2-year-old son's leg was nearly severed by the shotgun blast, and his daughter suffered wounds to her hand, arm and thigh.

Ruffcorn said both children are out of the hospital and continuing to recover from their wounds, adding that doctors were able to save the boy's leg.

All three of the children have been placed in foster care, Ruffcorn said, and Venia will be losing his parental rights.

"That's inevitable," he said.

Shasta County sheriff's deputy Jason Thatcher, who testified last year at Venia's preliminary hearing, said the Burney man was standing outside the home when he heard what he thought was a gunshot.

But, Thatcher said, Venia told him he had "no idea" how the children were injured and denied having a shotgun in the house, even though two family members later contradicted that statement.

Venia's half-brother, Ridge Gigax, has told detectives he saw Venia with the shotgun only minutes before he heard the blast, while Venia's girlfriend, Rose Williams, said the couple had argued about having a shotgun in the house only a few days before the shooting.